Feminax
Experts in period pain
Bayer Healthcare
Your questions
I suffer from very heavy periods that often last for 7 days or more. Is this normal?
What is PMS?
Is there a way of finding out when your next period is due?
I get a sharp pain one or two weeks before my period starts. What causes this?
Is it true that your menstrual cycle can be affected by spending a lot of time with other women?
None of my friends seem to suffer from period pain. Why am I affected so badly?
I only have a period once every two months. Is that normal?
I suffer from very heavy periods that often last for 7 days or more. Is this normal?
Don't worry, you're not alone. Some women do have heavy periods which sometimes last longer than a week. One thing to be aware of is that you could become anaemic, so make sure you're getting plenty of iron in your diet. You could also take an iron supplement, just to be on the safe side. If you're really worried about your periods, go to see your GP or ask someone at your local family planning clinic for advice.
What is PMS?
PMS stands for Premenstrual Syndrome. Most women have at least some of the symptoms of PMS in the days leading up to the start of their period. These symptoms include bloating, tender breasts, a swollen stomach, back and lower abdominal pain, headaches, lack of concentration, mood swings, clumsiness and tiredness. A lot of women also crave things like chocolate and crisps at this time of the month.
Is there a way of finding out when your next period is due?
If you know the length of your menstrual cycle and how many days your period usually lasts, you can work out the date your next period is likely to start. To save you counting the days on a calendar, use our Period Predictor to do the calculations for you.
I get a sharp pain one or two weeks before my period starts. What causes this?
The mid-cycle pain is probably caused by ovulation - the stage in your menstrual cycle when one of your ovaries releases an egg. However, there's an outside chance it could be a sign of a medical condition so you might want to get your GP to check everything's ok.
Is it true that your menstrual cycle can be affected by spending a lot of time with other women?
It's not known exactly why but some women do find that their cycles change to fall in line with those of their housemates or close friends.
None of my friends seem to suffer from period pain. Why am I affected so badly?
No one really knows why some women suffer from period pain and others don't feel a thing. It could be that your friends have had problems in the past and found ways to keep the monthly cramps in check. Take a look at How to cope with the pain for some suggestions of things you could try.
I only have a period once every two months. Is that normal?
The average menstrual cycle lasts for 28 days but anything between 20 and 42 days is considered normal. If your two-month cycle is regular there's probably nothing to worry about but you could always put your mind at rest by going to see your GP
Period Predictor
Use our Period Predictor to find out the likely start dates of your periods for the next 12 months
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